With its magestic keep and its protective drawbridge, the Château du Rivau seems to come straight out of a fairy tale

Its shape is reminiscent of 13th century fortified castles as suggest the square layout one can still discern. The square shaped keep was the heart of the castle’s fortification.

Yet the Rivau was one of the first ornamental castle’s to be built: its cheminees, wide windows and frescos endow it with a harmonious style.

In the dining hall of the Feast of Belshazzar, a biblical episode of the Feast of Belshazzar was depicted over the fire mantelpiece by a Flemish master of the 16th century. According to the Bible, the son of King Nebuchadnezzar had violated the sacred vases of the temple of Jerusalem.